Chicken Soup for the KxF Lover's Soul
by Hikari Kaitou
Summary: A collection of one shots. Ch.6, fluff. It's late, it's pouring out and Fai left a long time ago and still hasn't come back. Kurogane has no choice but to go out and find him. LAST CHAPTER.
1. Magician's Mentality

**A/N: **Haven't got much to say about this one except that it was loosely inspired by "You've Got Mail". You know, the bit where they're stuck in the elevator and each one says what they would do if they ever manage to get out. So, yeah...

* * *

**Ch. 1**

**Magician's Mentality**

Kurogane had never met another magician before Fai. He decided however that if other magicians were anything like the one he knew that he hated them all. If Fai was anything to go on, their mentalities, their very natures were completely infuriating. Tricks, lies, secrecy… the essence of the magician's being was entirely contrary to everything that Kurogane stood for. When Fai would turn his lazy sapphire eyes on the ninja, he seemed to be concealing something that he so longed to divulge but simply could not bring himself to. It drove Kurogane insane.

So when the swordsman noticed Fai looking over the top of a steaming cup of tea, watching him with those loathsome blue eyes of his, he felt his stomach clench because he knew that the wizard was going to say something and he knew that he was going to hate it. He swirled his own tea in his cup, watching it lap up against the sides of the white mug so he wouldn't have to look at that stupid face.

"I really envy you, Kurokuro," he said softly, a slight smile lingering on his lips. "Ever since the first time I met you, I've envied you…"

Kurogane looked up at him, frowning. That wasn't the kind thing he had been expecting him to say. "What the hell for?"

Fai watched him for another moment in silence before continuing. "…I don't think…I've ever known what I wanted. I mean…I have a vague idea, but…"

His expression was distant and thoughtful; an expression Kurogane realized that he rarely saw him wear, and when he did see it, it was only fleeting. He wished Fai would wear it more often. It suited him far better than that hideous fake smile. Kurogane felt a squeeze of disappointment in his gut when Fai seemingly noticed, just as he always did, that he was in danger of letting his mask slip and quickly looked up at the warrior, that stupid smile resurfacing.

"But Kurosama knows exactly what he wants, right?" Fai said lightly. He rested his elbows on the counter right across from where Kurogane was sitting, leaning forward slightly so that he could look him right in the eye. "I could tell from the minute you told your wish to Yuuko san."

"What about you?" the ninja growled. "You didn't seem to have any trouble deciding what to tell the witch that you wanted."

"True… but your wish had a clear purpose. You wanted to return home so that you could protect Tomoyo chan," Fai pointed out. "All I said was that I wanted to avoid going back home. That's considerably less clear cut, wouldn't you say?"

The two of them stared at one another, each searching the other's eyes for some hint as to what the other was really thinking. As he scanned those eyes, Kurogane found that the heavy, aching feeling he experienced towards Fai was not hate. In fact, it was just the opposite. If he had truly hated Fai, then his constant elusiveness wouldn't have bothered him as deeply as it did. It was because he longed for the sorcerer to be able to trust him that everything about him frustrated him so. The hand that he had thought was itching to strangle to blond actually just wanted to pull him close, feel his warmth, comfort him.

Kurogane, feeling slightly sick after this revelation, began swirling his tea again, watching it so that he wouldn't have to look at the blond as he muttered "But it's just as bad knowing what you want sometimes… if you can't make yourself reach out and take it."

Fai's face regained that thoughtful look, knowing that Kurogane was referring to some desire other than the one he had expressed to Yuuko. His smile became sardonic.

"But Kurotan has never been afraid to take what he wants." Fai's gaze grew distant again. "Whatever this thing is that Kuromin wants but is afraid to take…must be something very unusual."

"Tch. Whoever said that I was _afraid_?" Kurogane demanded.

"What else could possibly keep you from taking something that you really wanted?"

The ninja was silent as he mulled the accusation over. _Oh god_, he concluded eventually_, I really am afraid…_

"I must admit, though," Fai said suddenly, interrupting Kurogane's thoughts, "after spending so much time with Kurowanko… and Syaoran kun and Sakura chan who are all so sure about their wishes, I think I'm finally getting a clearer idea for myself. I think I might know what I want…"

He lifted his gaze once more and looked into the other man's eyes. Kurogane noticed that Fai's hand, which had slowly been inching towards his, had paused uncertainly and then clenched itself into a fist.

"But I'm in a bit of a pinch again because, like Kurochii said, I'm afraid to reach out and take it…"

He felt his stomach tighten with bitter disappointment once more. Fai sighed, straightening up and taking a drink of tea.

"It would be extremely selfish of me to take it… If I did, I would probably only end up destroying it. Perhaps it's better for me not to even try… to continue living in this illusion that I could have it if I only had the courage to take it."

Kurogane looked up at him, his intense scarlet eyes full of something that might have been pain. "…Why?"

Fai was silent and Kurogane could see that look of his again; the one where he seemed to be concealing something that he so longed to divulge but simply could not bring him self to. When he noticed that the swordsman was watching him intently, he quickly smiled again, though this smile looked distinctly sorrowful.

"I'm sorry, Kuropin," Fai replied. "A magician never reveals his secrets."


	2. Bittersweet Nightmare

**Ch. 2**

**Bittersweet Nightmare**

The blond was stirring restlessly, tossing and turning, his breathing unusually harsh and ragged. Kurogane stepped forward, his hand extended uncertainly. What was going on? Was Fai having a nightmare? He noticed with discomfort the amount of concern that had arisen within him at that thought. Then he shook himself again. This wasn't the time for egocentric thoughts; Fai was in pain.

He crept forward, his heart in his throat. What if Fai was only messing with him right now in order to trick him into showing concern? Then again, what if something was really wrong? If something bad happened to Fai that he could have prevented but, for his own selfish reasons, hadn't, Kurogane wouldn't be able to live with himself. Deciding to put his already injured pride on the line for the magician's wellbeing, Kurogane closed the remaining space between the two of them, seating himself on the edge of the bed so that he could examine Fai more closely.

Kurogane reached out and cautiously touched a lock of Fai's golden hair. To his dismay, he found it damp with sweat. Fai was a good actor but this was a little too convincing, even for him. He could tell that Fai's suffering was genuine. Kurogane jumped when Fai grabbed his hand. The ninja was frozen with indecision, simply allowing Fai to hold it as tightly as he needed to. Kurogane was soon grinding his teeth against the pain caused by the wizard's grip; apparently the scrawny guy was stronger than he looked. It didn't seem like Fai was going to snap out of this any time soon. Kurogane decided it was best to wake him.

"Hey!" he hissed, patting Fai's hand sharply. "Hey, wake up!"

There was no change in behavior. Kurogane might as well have done nothing. Doing his best to bite back his worry, the ninja grabbed his shoulders and shook him insistently. "Hey! Wake up!"

Fai's eyes snapped open, wide and round with fear as he stared up at Kurogane who was now holding his hand again.

"You ok?" Kurogane asked, trying to keep the urgency out of his voice. "You were having a bad dream or something…"

Fai continued to stare with frightened blue eyes at his savior for just a few seconds before a smile spread quickly across his face and he laughed, though the strain it was obviously costing him to do so made the ninja sick to his stomach.

"Hee hee! Look at Big Doggy, all worried about me! How cute!"

Kurogane's face contorted into a snarl. "Don't try to change the subject, you bastard! I know that was for real just now!"

"He's even holding my hand! Awww!" Fai giggled, squeezing the ninja's hand affectionately. "Did you come to snuggle with me, Kuropun? I knew you would!"

Kurogane shoved Fai away forcefully and got to his feet.

"Fine! If you want to be a dumbass, that's your own damn business! It's not like I care!"

With that, the swordsman left the room, slamming the door angrily behind him. Kurogane stood fuming outside Fai's bedroom, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight off the urge to go back in there and punch the guy right in his stupid face. He had seen Fai's suffering with his own two eyes! Why was that stupid jerk trying to deny that it was anything of consequence?! After all they had been through, this was all the trust Fai put in him?! The ninja trusted _him,_ so why--! Why…! …Why…?

Kurogane heaved a sigh, putting his face in his hands in frustration as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. In spite of the… (What was this feeling? he wondered. Surely it wasn't hurt; that wouldn't make any sense at all. Why would he be hurt just because that dumb bastard didn't trust him? It must be bitterness, he decided) bitterness that Fai had caused him by refusing to confide in him, Kurogane couldn't make himself go lie back down on the couch and just forget about it.

He clutched at his hair, feeling just as annoyed with himself as he was with Fai. His eyes widened in disbelief as he realized that the reason he didn't want to go back to the couch was because he didn't want to discourage the blond from seeking his comfort if he found himself in desperate enough need of it. Grudgingly, Kurogane retrieved his blanket from the couch, wrapped it loosely around his shoulders, folded his arms and settled down in the corner, right outside of Fai's room. He didn't care if his back was sore in the morning from sleeping sitting up against the wall; he knew what it was like to have to endure deep anguish alone because of being too afraid or embarrassed to seek comfort from someone else. As annoyed as he was with Fai right now, he found that he could never wish such pain on him.

* * *

When Kurogane slammed that door, Fai felt as though his heart had been in its way and had broken on impact. He hugged himself, bracing himself for the huge tidal wave of self-loathing that was seconds away from crashing over him. The betrayal in Kurogane's voice when Fai had refused to confide in him had been heartbreaking. He did so long to tell the ninja everything, to have the ninja hold him close in his comforting embrace and to whisper soothing words to him. 

Fai scolded himself for wanting those things; it was just so disgustingly selfish of him to put his own stupid desires before Kurogane's life. And yet… he couldn't make himself stop wanting these things. He had fantasized about having someone to love him since before he could even remember, but in his homeworld he had been imprisoned and so had no one specific to occupy his dreams. Despite his efforts to keep everyone at an arm's length when he started this journey, Kurogane, and everyone else in their group, really, had slipped pass his defenses. Now that he had someone specific to dream of, resisting the idea of allowing himself a relationship with Kurogane was even harder than ever before.

_Maybe, just this once, I could let myself... No! I can't! One time is all it takes before things can get completely out of hand! …Just once… I just want to know what it's like… Am I stupid?! I know I can't! I can't ever… But I need him...

* * *

_

Kurogane's eyes snapped open when he heard the soft creak of the door as it was opened. His heart skipped a beat; it was Fai. He quickly shut his eyes again, not wanting to scare the magician away, instead watching his aura. Fai paused, wavering uncertainly between his bedroom and the hallway. He hadn't even noticed Kurogane sitting there yet. Kurogane shifted very slightly, just so that he could get Fai's attention. It worked; seeing the ninja sitting there startled him so badly that he darted back into his room, trying to dodge out of his line of sight.

When Kurogane didn't say anything or make any further moves, Fai poked his head out again nervously. He studied him from where he stood, then knelt beside him to get a closer look, to check that he was really sleeping. Kurogane wasn't sure if Fai could tell that he was actually awake or if he had the wizard fooled. Whatever Fai decided, he moved from his kneeling position to sit at his side. Kurogane held perfectly still, hardly even daring to breathe.

After another long, cautious pause, the blond leaned hesitantly toward him and allowed himself to rest his head lightly on Kurogane's shoulder. He slowly eased his arm around Fai's waist. This small amount of reassurance was enough to persuade the mage to return the embrace. Throwing all caution to the wind, Kurogane pulled Fai into his lap and held him close, stroking his hair reassuringly. He noted that although Fai was trembling uncontrollably, he still managed to keep even a single tear from falling. It was just as he thought; Fai was much stronger than he seemed at first glance.

It took quite a while, but eventually Fai's trembling slowed and he slipped into an uneasy sleep. Kurogane didn't relinquish his hold on the wizard's slender frame; even though Fai was asleep, he continued to clutch his companion's shirt tightly in his fists and his face still showed considerable strain. He absentmindedly smoothed a few strands of hair away from the magician's eyes and pulled open a corner of his blanket to share it with him. Kurogane was almost asleep, his cheek resting on Fai's head when a timid voice reached his ears.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Kurosama…that I can't tell you…" Fai muttered, his voice muffled because his face was buried in the ninja's shirt.

When Kurogane pushed against him slightly, his head snapped up, his eyes showing his terror that he had touched a nerve with that statement and was going to be shoved aside for it. His eyes widened in surprise when the lips he had expected to growl and hurl insults at him instead pressed gently against his, the hand he had expected to hurt him instead lovingly caressed his cheek.

"It's fine," Kurogane whispered reassuringly. "I don't need to know if you don't want to tell me."

Then he hugged Fai close again, his warmth washing over the blond like a hot bath, his fingers playing through his hair. "Now go back to sleep, you idiot."

Fai obediently closed his eyes, wondering that if seeking the swordsman's comfort had been the wrong thing to do how it could possibly feel so right.


	3. Powerless

**A/N:** ...Ahem...No comment.

* * *

**Ch. 3**

**Powerless**

Fai saw promise in this world from the moment they arrived in it. The deep, endless darkness that surrounded them suggested that they had landed in a closet, but that theory was quickly disproved by the fact that he could feel grass beneath his fingers. If he had found himself alone in such darkness, Fai would have been considerably less joyous about it; however given the fact that he had landed sprawled on top of his favorite ninja who, along with Syaoran, was capable of sensing the auras of everything around them, he was perfectly content.

"Hyuu! It sure is dark here, isn't it?" Fai commented, hugging Kurogane as the ninja sat up. "I can't see anything! What about you, Sakura chan?"

"N-no…it's too dark," Sakura said from somewhere to his right.

"How about you, Syaoran kun?" Fai asked.

"No, nothing," Syaoran replied from the same general direction as Sakura, sounding just as nervous.

"Tch. Were you even listening to me back in Outo country, Kid?" Kurogane growled. "Don't tell me you forgot how to feel auras."

"Oh, that's right," the boy answered quickly. "Yeah, I can feel auras."

"Mokona can't see either," Mokona piped, as if anyone cared what it thought. Kurogane just barely suppressed a strong urge to kick it.

"So Kuromin and Syaoran kun are the only ones who can see, then, huh?" Fai mused, a sly grin spreading across his face that was concealed by darkness. "Syaoran kun will have to guide Sakura chan and Mokona and Kuropippi can guide me!"

"Aah?! Why do I have to guide a dumb bastard like _you_?!" Kurogane demanded.

"Well, I suppose Syaoran kun could guide both me and Sakura chan if you'd rather have Mokona, Kuropun," the magician smirked.

"…Just forget it," Kurogane grumbled, earning a cheer from Fai who then happily latched onto the ninja's arm.

"Hey! Mokona hears something!" the white creature shouted.

Indeed, there was a slightly hesitant sound of footsteps shuffling towards them.

"What is it, Syaoran kun?" Sakura whispered, clutching her guide's arm.

"Hmm…it seems to be a person," Syaoran answered slowly.

"A kid," the swordsman added. This put everyone else at ease.

"Who's there?" a timid young female voice called out.

"Could you mean us?" Fai asked amiably. "We're travelers. We seem to be a little lost in this darkness."

"Eh? Travelers?" the girl repeated curiously. "How did you get here if you can't see in the dark?"

"We just sort of wandered in," the blond lied with a smile.

"…Are…are you two holding hands?" the girl asked Kurogane, and he could tell that she had a huge grin on her face. Kurogane felt his face go scarlet and was highly thankful that no one could see. At least the darkness was good for that much.

"Tch! Like I have a choice! This dumb ass can't see in the dark!" he snapped.

"Yes, and Kuropopo doesn't want me to get hurt," Fai giggled.

"You think I care about that?!" the ninja roared.

"Ah, b-but…" Syaoran interrupted hurriedly, "if there's no light in this country, then how can _you_ see where you're going? Has it always been like this?"

"No, it only happened about a week ago," the girl replied, becoming a bit more serious now. "We can't produce any kind of light at all. It's been a real hassle. The local government has issued two pairs of infrared goggles to each family but that still leaves a lot of people in the dark."

"Syaoran kun…" Sakura said slowly. "Do you think… that this could have been caused by my feather?"

"Can you sense one, Mokona?" Syaoran asked.

Mokona was silent for a moment. "Yes," it said finally. "Mokona can feel a feather. It's pretty close by, too."

"A feather?" the girl asked. "What do you need a feather for?"

"It's a long story," Syaoran replied. "Is there any way that we could get some of those infrared goggles?"

"I can take you to the city government building. You might be able to get some there," the girl said. "Come on, it's this way."

"But…" Mokona continued seriously. "That's not the only thing Mokona senses…"

"Eh? What else is there, Moko chan?" Sakura asked.

"Mokona senses…" it paused dramatically. "Kurogane and Fai's love-love!"

There was a chorus of delighted giggling from Fai and their young hostess.

Kurogane hurriedly dropped Fai's hand, his cheeks glowing like the setting sun. "DON'T SAY DISGUSTING THINGS, DAMN MANJUU!!"

"Kyaaa! There's a mean doggy chasing me!" Mokona squealed, scampering away as Kurogane drew his sword with a sinister "shing".

Fai, still laughing, followed behind with the younger travelers.

"Ah, Fai san--!" Syaoran gasped.

Fai was just about to answer but was cut short when he tripped over a rock. "Ouchyyyy!"

"Never mind," Syaoran muttered.

"Fai san! Are you alright?!" Sakura cried, hurrying to his side.

"Aha… I seem to have hurt my ankle," Fai said with a weak, apologetic laugh.

"K-Kurogane san…" Syaoran called meekly, "we need your help…"

"Ha?!" Kurogane growled, stomping over.

"Kuropin abandoned me and I got hurt!" Fai said tearfully, clutching his injured ankle.

"NOT AGAIN!!" the ninja howled. Snarling in protest, he scooped Fai up and prepared to drape him over his shoulder and carry him as he had back in Outo when he had gotten himself injured.

"Ahh…Not over the shoulder please, Kurowanwan," Fai panted. "I think I may have bruised my ribs a little, too."

"WELL HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECET ME TO CARRY YOU THEN, YOU BASTARD?!!" Kurogane snapped.

Fai smiled coyly up at him. "Gently, please."

"Asshole…" he grumbled as he shifted Fai in his arms to cradle him like a baby. He could tell by the way the mage was cuddling up against him that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his ribs. But he had no intention of letting on that he was aware of this.

"Um, excuse me," Syaoran called to the girl. "Which way did you say it was to the government building?"

"One second!" she shouted back, now from several yards away. Then she began talking again, though by the secrecy of her tone, it was clear that it was to someone other than one of their group. "Yeah, I'm sure. They keep on making excuses to touch each other, and you should've seen the tall one blush when I pointed it out…Right…You read my mind. That's exactly what I was planning…Yep, I'll be there in like twenty minutes. I have to show the younger two to the government building first…Ooh, great idea…Mm hmm, I can't stick around, though so make sure you guys take some for me, too…Yup. Can you call the others, too, then and let them know? Ok, good… Uh huh, bye."

There was a beep and the girl then turned her attention back to the travelers. "Ok, I can show you the way now!"

Syaoran and his group followed their new guide who skipped as she led them. Kurogane narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He wasn't sure exactly what that girl was so happy about but for some reason, it gave him a bad feeling.

* * *

"That sure was nice of Shimizu chan to show us to this hotel, wasn't it?" Fai pointed out cheerfully from his perch in Kurogane's arms.

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted. "She brought us to this place on purpose!"

"Mm? What do you mean, Kuropiko?"

"There's something weird about this building… for some reason, the auras in here are really weak. I can hardly feel them at all."

Fai laughed weakly again. "So it really is the blind leading the blind, eh?"

"And since the brats took both pairs of those infrared things, there's no way for us to find our room!"

"Well, you can hardly blame them, Kuropu! They needed them much more than we do since they went to find the feather and we're just hanging around here!"

"They could have at least helped us find the room first! And why is it so deadly silent in here?! It's freaking creepy!"

"Aww, come on, Kuronta! Lighten up! You're so grumpy!" Fai drawled lightheartedly, patting the swordsman's cheek. "Daddy should try being happy once in a while!"

"What's there to be happy about?!" Kurogane growled. "I'm in some hellhole of a world in pitch darkness, wandering around in this damn hotel where I can't see a single freaking thing with this dumb ass magician in my arms who's making me carry him because he's too freaking lazy to walk on his own and has the nerve to tell me to be happy! I have every right to be pissed off! Ouch!"

Kurogane's rant was interrupted when he ran into a wall. Hissing in pain, he backed away and gingerly rubbed at his wrist where it had scraped against the hard, rough surface.

"What happened, Kurorin?" Fai asked.

"Hit a wall," he replied through gritted teeth.

"Well that was silly, Daddy! What did you do that for?" the magician asked brightly.

"Grrrr…THAT'S IT!!" Kurogane roared, promptly dropping Fai on the marble floor. "YOU'RE WALKING ON YOUR OWN NOW!!"

"Ouchyyyy! Kuromun! That hurt!" Fai cried. "I think my ankle is broken!"

"Serves you right, you—Look out!!" Kurogane shouted, diving at Fai and pushing him out of the way as something zoomed by them with an ominous clattering sound before crashing explosively into the wall.

"What the hell was that?" the warrior panted.

"I don't know…" Fai said slowly. "But it's a good thing Kurowanta pushed me out of the way or I would have been flattened like a pancake! …Tee hee!"

"Aah? What was that weird laugh for?" Kurogane asked suspiciously.

"Well, just now…Kurokuro was really worried about me! It was really sweet!" he giggled. "Thank you!"

"Tch! Don't flatter yourself!" the ninja sneered. "What makes you think I would ever be worried about _you_?!"

"I'm not sure… perhaps it has to do with the way you're clutching me so protectively, even now that the danger has passed," Fai suggested brightly.

Kurogane tried to think of a retort but his mind just remained blank when he realized that one of his hands was supporting his companion's head and the other was clamped firmly to Fai's buttocks. The refrain of poorly stifled giggles of delight that came at them from every angle only added to his dismay.

"D-did you hear that just now?" he hissed.

"Mm? Hear what, Kurochii?" Fai asked.

Kurogane frowned, listening hard, before shaking his head, deciding that he had just been hearing things. "Huh… Never mind…"

* * *

Just finding the stairwell was an absolute nightmare. The lobby of the hotel was so huge and mysterious things kept being hurled in their direction, forcing Kurogane to save Fai over and over again. And after each rescue, he would hear that freakish laughter which Fai claimed to be oblivious of.

Even once they managed to locate the stairs, their troubles still weren't over. Not only did the stairs seem to be all different sizes so that they would sometimes go to climb to the next one only to find that the step they were aiming for was a whole foot ahead of where they had expected it to be but someone at the top kept throwing things at them, which, of course, Fai needed protection from. More than once, Kurogane found himself…_accidentally_ grabbing the wizard's ass after a rescue. Fai was having a field day.

"My my, Kurotan sure does like to grab me, huh?" he would giggle.

"SOMEONE IS SCREWING WITH US!!" Kurogane raged. He had every right to be annoyed since this was about the tenth time this had happened and they had only managed to climb twenty stairs total.

"Poor Kurochan is so embarrassed!" Fai gushed, his attempt at sympathy undermined by the obvious delight in his voice. "All this blushing might give him the appearance of a permanent sunburn once the lights come back!"

"Who said I was blushing?!"

Fai gave Kurogane an experimental kiss on the cheek, feeling its intense heat beneath his lips. "Well, it's either that, or Kuronpyu has a fever. If that's the case, I'll have to make him take a warm bath, drink some hot tea and take a nap once we get to our room. Take your pick," he said happily.

Although Fai couldn't see the ninja's face, he could practically feel it going pale at the thought of the things he had just suggested. Extremely pleased by the complete power he currently had over Kurogane, he decided to press the matter.

"Hmm? Which is it?"

Something else was hurtled down the stairs at them, which Kurogane heard and grabbed Fai's shoulder's, forcing him to duck just in the nick of time. "I'm not sick!" he snarled.

"So you _are_ blushing, then?" Fai giggled, his voice slightly muffled because Kurogane was holding him protectively to his chest.

"Look, it's hot in here, ok?! That's all!" Kurogane insisted.

"That wasn't one of the choices!" he sang gleefully.

Kurogane gritted his teeth, jerked Fai to his feet and continued to climb, in silence.

* * *

The ninja felt highly relieved when they finally reached the top of the perilous staircase. Both of them, surprisingly, were still intact, despite the efforts of those unseen forces to ensure otherwise. Naively, they sat down on the top step for a rest. Kurogane was feeling a little sheepish; he had never imagined that it could be so difficult for him to climb thirty-five stairs. Even with his current handicaps, he expected better of himself. Fai was slumped over, his head in Kurogane's lap, his breathing exaggeratedly laborious.

"What the hell are _you_ acting so worn out for?" the swordsman growled. "_I_ was the one doing all the work!"

"Having Kuropon grab me so many times got me all excited," Fai puffed. "Now even _my_ face is hot! Here, feel…"

Kurogane allowed Fai to guide his hand to his cheek which burned with passion beneath his fingers.

But before he could truly begin to enjoy the softness of Fai's skin against his, there was a loud, disconcerting grating sound.

"Ok, you must have heard _that_," Kurogane breathed, not wanting to make too much noise in case it set off something.

"Yeah..." Fai admitted. "What was that?"

Before Kurogane could answer, he felt the stairs beneath him suddenly meld smoothly into a single entity, forming a long, slick ramp. He knew superficially what was happening but his brain couldn't seem to grasp it, even as the two of them slid helplessly down the ramp to land sprawled on top of each other at the bottom. _No. Freaking. Way._

There was a brief pause; a short "calm before the storm", and then Kurogane flew into a rage, spitting out words so vulgar that they even made Fai cringe. But the basic idea of his tirade was that they had worked so hard to get to the top of those damn stairs and now that they had managed to somehow end up at the bottom again, Kurogane was pissed. Fai interrupted somewhat timidly when the smell of something burning piqued his attention.

"Kurosama… do you smell that? Like something is burning?"

Kurogane yelped in surprise and pain when his hand received an unexpected burn as it brushed over the hem of his apparently burning cloak. Unfortunately, the fact that everything, including the flame itself, was completely dark and therefore invisible, mixed with his efforts not to let the burning garment touch Fai rather hindered his efforts to remove it and thus allowed the fire to catch onto his shirt as well. Then his pants. If Kurogane had been more of an optimist, he would have found comfort that while, yes, he was almost completely naked and in close proximity to a (very good looking) wizard who had, mere seconds ago, admitted to being quite horny, he had managed to receive only the single minor burn to his hand.

"Are you ok, Kurowanta?" Fai asked seriously.

Kurogane was not an optimist. "Y-you stay the hell away from me!"

Taking that as a "yes", Fai's grin returned. "Eh? What's wrong, Big Puppy? Are you hurt? Here, let me see…"

"You can't see! Get away!" he insisted, scuttling away like a crab. Somehow, Kurogane managed to find his back pressed up a wall very quickly. He gasped and recoiled at the feeling of the cold surface touched his skin. And Fai, despite his mutual inability to see, somehow managed to appear at his side again within seconds. Kurogane could feel the magician's warm hands exploring his ill-clothed body with false surprise and far too much enjoyment. Although he was disturbed by this, he, for some reason, couldn't seem to make himself pull away from the gentle touch.

"Kurochuu's skin sure is soft," Fai breathed, touching his lips softly to Kurogane's collarbone, which sent shivers through the ninja's whole body. There was another, odd, collective noise rose from their surroundings again, but this time, it sounded more like a large-scale hyperventilation than laughter. It was followed by a tumult of very strange clicking noises.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Kurogane howled, quickly pushing Fai off of him. "I know someone is screwing with us so just come out and face me like a man!"

There was that stupid laughter again.

"Are you really sure you want them to come out and face you, Kurorun?" Fai asked amusedly. "After all, you're not exactly…_decent_ right now."

"I DON'T CARE!! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!!"

Before Fai could give any sort of response, he found himself suddenly being pushed to the ground and mauled by what seemed to be several of their mysterious visitors.

"Waah!" he shouted, more out of surprise than anything else.

"What?! What's going on?!" Kurogane was at the blond's side almost instantly but even by then, the damage had already been done. "What happened?! Did they hurt you?! …Huh?"

He had made a grab for Fai's shoulders but to his bewilderment, they were bare when his hands reached them.

"Well, I'm not hurt, but…"

"Where the hell are your clothes?!" Kurogane's fingers skimmed over Fai's exposed chest and stomach but sighed with relief when they finally reached an intact waistband (of course it was relief. What else would it have been? Disappointment? Pfft. Right.).

"Whoever that was who just attacked me, er… seems to have taken them," he finished, his voice tinted with apology and amusement at the same time.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!! WHEN I FIND OUT WHO'S BEHIND THIS, THEY ARE DEAD!! START MAKING OUT YOUR WILLS, YOU BASTARDS!!"

"Ha haa… Kurowanko, I don't think the ones behind this are…" Fai trailed off, then shook his head, deciding not to continue.

"What was that?! You know something that you're not telling me?!" Kurogane snarled dangerously.

"Hmm…no, it's nothing," the wizard said lightly. "Nothing at all…"

The ninja squinted suspiciously through the darkness in Fai's general direction, knowing that he knew more than he was letting on. His suspicion was only increased when he heard the excited whispering. It was coming from very close by.

"Is there someone else with us right now?!" he demanded. "Hey! Answer me!"

There was another moment of whispering and then the magician finally replied.

"Nope…it's just us! Tee hee!"

"…Hmph!" Kurogane grunted doubtfully. "Well, what are we gonna do now? I guess we could try to find some other way to get upstairs… Let's try over here."

He gingerly reached out and, once he was certain that it was really Fai's hand that he had located, took the mage by the hand and began to lead him. They had hardly taken two steps when he heard a dull thud and a sharp gasp of pain from Fai.

"What is it?!"

"Ahhh…that really…really hurt…" he choked, dropping to his hands and knees. "I scraped my side… against a table…or something…I-I think my ribs are broken…"

Kurogane hurriedly dropped to the floor beside his companion, his fingers gently exploring Fai's rib area as he searched for a break.

"Doesn't feel like anything's broken," the swordsman said eventually. "I think you're…what the hell…?"

He suddenly noticed an odd floral scent coming from somewhere close by. Hesitantly, he brought his nose a little closer to Fai's skin, lingering there perhaps a little longer than was absolutely necessary. He was so preoccupied by his search for truth that he hardly noticed a virtual roar of clicking.

"Are…are you…wearing perfume…?" Kurogane asked slowly, an overwhelming sense of dread filling his stomach as he awaited the answer.

The room suddenly burst out with laughter, all of which was distinctly female. Startled, Kurogane's head snapped upwards. That was when the light suddenly returned, blinding the ninja momentarily. It took several seconds but eventually, Kurogane's sight began to return to him. What he saw then suddenly made everything clear, including the fact that the impending doom he had been sensing all along was not just a figment of his imagination. First of all, the lobby was not empty as they had first guessed but was full of teenaged girls, each armed with a camera and a pair of infrared goggles, all of whom had brilliantly pink faces and looked way too pleased with the way things were going right now.

And then there were the wizard and ninja themselves; both wearing only their boxer shorts, Kurogane crouched down over Fai's body, a leg on either side of his hips, a hand still resting on his chest from when he had been checking for broken ribs. Speaking of which, Fai's side, which he had allegedly injured, was as smooth and perfect as it always had been. Obviously, he had only pretended to be hurt. The girl closest to them was holding a small bottle of perfume. As far as Kurogane could figure, she had convinced Fai to fake an injury to his chest, hence the whispering he had heard shortly before it had happened, to get the warrior to touch him and had given him a little bit of the perfume to then trick him into bringing his face closer to Fai's bare skin. And the clicking noises that had followed had been made by all the girls' cameras as they snapped picture after picture of the two of them in these poses.

Fai was the first to speak. "I guess Syaoran kun and Sakura chan managed to get the feather already then, hmm? That sure was quick!"

Kurogane was too mortified to say a word.

"And what convenient timing, eh?" Fai continued, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Y-you…you were….!!" Kurogane sputtered.

"Oh no, I wasn't in on it the _whole_ time," the blond said smoothly. "Not until the very end when I pretended to hurt my ribs.

The ninja stared at him with wide accusing eyes, still incapable of speech.

"Oh, don't look at me like that Kuropippi! I did it for a good cause!" he assured him, stroking his cheek comfortingly.

"WHAT CAUSE WOULD THAT BE?!!"

One of the girls came running over and handed Fai a picture she had just finished printing off of her camera. Kurogane barely, just barely, refrained from punching his face in.


	4. Prey Tell

**A/N: **Hmm... not sure how this turned out. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Prey Tell**

Ever since the day he had met Fai, Kurogane had wondered if the mage had ever kept silent for more than ten seconds at a time in his entire life. The ninja had been constantly thrown into rage by Fai's comments, yelled at him to shut up, and had even made many half-hearted attempts to kill the chatty wizard, all because he thought he wanted him to be silent. He had even entertained thoughts that he could have actual feelings for Fai if only he were capable of keeping his mouth shut. Since the incident in Tokyo, the magician had fallen into almost a constant state of silence, sometimes speaking to Sakura, but only to the others when it was absolutely necessary. Kurogane now realized the error of his ways. If he had known that Fai's silence would cause him such anguish, he would have appreciated his time with talkative Fai even more deeply while it lasted and would have looked upon the time in the future when he would eventually fall quiet with unrelenting dread.

Kurogane returned to their room, a brown paper bag containing a bottle of liquor in his hand. They had secured another victory in today's chess match but none of them took any joy in the success. Perhaps it was because the tension between everyone was so stifling, or maybe he was just trying to take the edge off of his despair over Fai's coldness towards him but Kurogane found himself wanting to drink far more often than he ever had before.

He was slightly surprised when he turned to face the room after locking the door that he was not the only one there after all. There, on the couch, sat Fai and he almost seemed to be waiting for the ninja's return though with the way the magician had been acting towards him recently, Kurogane could hardly imagine that to be the case. It was getting kind of late so he had expected everyone to be in bed by the time he returned.

"What are you doing?" Kurogane asked, his voice breaking through the unpleasant tension in the room. "Waiting for me?"

Fai was momentarily silent and appeared to be staring guiltily at his knees though the warrior wasn't sure since he could only see the eye with the patch over it. "…No…it's nothing… I just…was having a hard time getting to sleep. But I think I'm ok now. Good night…Kurogane…"

The blond got to his feet then and turned in the direction of his bedroom but didn't move. It suddenly occurred to Kurogane what Fai must want. Without a word, he drew his sword and made a small cut in his wrist. Fai, who had just begun to take the first hesitant step toward his room, froze mid-stride. Kurogane heard him inhale slowly and knew he was catching the scent of his blood. He could see Fai's fingers trembling uncertainly; clearly he thirsted for the sultry red liquid but was loath to accept it so easily.

"Just drink it," Kurogane sighed impatiently. "I'm not in the mood to play games with you right now."

Fai stood with his back to the swordsman for another few seconds, then spun on his heal to approach him, though his head was hung in shame or reluctance or both. Just before the magician allowed his tongue to experience the warm, copper-flavored liquid, he lifted his golden eye to stare into Kurogane's. At first, the look he saw there seemed to be hatred but then he noticed the deep undercurrent of sorrow and regret, and it hurt him to see it.

When the blond had eaten his fill, he helped Kurogane bandage his wrist and slowly got to his feet to leave. Though Fai's back was to him again, Kurogane sensed that there was something more he wanted. No; "wanted" isn't a strong enough word for the thing he felt. What he sensed from Fai was more like a desperate need. So when Fai muttered "…Good night, Kurogane…" and reluctantly moved toward his room, the ninja stopped him by taking hold of his forearm.

Fai neither turned to look at him, nor tried to pull his arm away; he simply waited for Kurogane to explain himself. Kurogane had never considered himself to be especially good with words so instead of offering an explanation, he gently tugged Fai closer and held him in his arms. The mage was unresponsive at first, but the swordsman perceived a deep internal struggle within him. Kurogane began to stroke his hair patiently, comfortingly.

"…Why…did you agree to do this for me, Kurogane…?" Fai whispered, all those emotions that Kurogane had seen in his eyes just a moment ago now apparent in his voice. He knew the mage was referring to his deal with Yuuko to become his prey so that his life might be spared. The warrior touched his lips softly to Fai's neck a few times, giving himself a second to come up with a proper response.

"Darkness…can't get rid of darkness," Kurogane said finally. "Only light can do that."

Fai pulled away from him slightly so that he could look the ninja in the eye, his own single eye round with surprise. Kurogane calmly met his astonished gaze.

"Just like you can't get rid of hate with hate," he continued. "You need love to do that."

He pulled Fai close again. "If this journey has taught me anything, it's that."

Fai was frozen briefly with shock, and then his arms finally moved to hesitantly return his companion's embrace.

"…You…You never cease to amaze me…Kurosama…" Fai breathed shakily.

Seconds that seemed to contain an eternity went by, but neither one cared because they spent them holding each other for the first time in so long. Eventually, Kurogane pulled him over to the couch and persuaded the wizard to sit with him. Fai laid his head against Kurogane's chest, finding deep comfort in the steady beating of the swordsman's heart, and in the way his fingers gently caressed his cheek. It wasn't long before Kurogane looked down and found the blond sleeping peacefully in his arms.

With the barest hint of a smile, Kurogane scooped Fai up and carried him into his room where he laid him carefully on his bed and pulled the blankets up to his shoulders. He smoothed a lock of Fai's golden hair out of his face and gently kissed his pale lips before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him. For the first time since Tokyo, Fai was able to sleep soundly, undaunted by visions of his past or a burning desire for his relationship with Kurogane to be even a small fraction of what it had been before that horrible turn of events. His room may have been pitch dark, but he was completely unaware, his dreams, at last, regaining the light he though he might never see there again.

* * *

**A/N: **Ok, this might seem a bit strange but this fic was actually inspired by a quote that my history teacher had posted on her bulletin board. She always has one from some historical figure and she changes it every month or so. Kurogane's philosophical tidbit there was based very closely on last month's quote. I believe it was by Martin Luther King, jr. if I'm not mistaken. So if you enjoyed this chapter, maybe you should send a little thanks his way :3

I have an interesting idea for the next chapter: Kurogane and Fai get their own radio show where they give advice to people who write in with questions... If anyone would like to submit a question for them, feel free to send it my way and I'll work it in there... This could turn out to be rather crackalicious XD


	5. Ask a Ninja and a Magician

**A/N: **Well, here it is... I'm not sure how it turned out, though. I'm not sure about anything anymore T-T

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Ask a Ninja (and a Magician)**

"Good afternoon, everyone and thank you for listening to Teen Talk radio where we discuss issues that all you high school and middle school students have to deal with every day," the pre-recorded woman's voice announced. "Today we have two special guests with us to help answer questions that listeners all over the country have written to us. Here we have Fai san, from Celes—"

"Hello! It's nice to meet all of you!" Fai chimed in.

"And our other guest is Kurogane san, from Japan."

"…This is stupid," Kurogane grumbled sullenly.

"Aww, come on, Daddy! Don't be like that!" Fai scolded, poking the ninja's shoulder playfully. "You have to be a good doggy while we're doing the radio show! Mommy will buy you a treat later if you're good!"

"CUT IT OUT WITH THE STUPID NAMES!!" Kurogane snapped. "IT'S KUROGANE!! AND QUIT TALKING TO ME LIKE I'M A FREAKING TWO-YEAR-OLD!!"

The pre-recorded introduction continued over the top of their ensuing bickering. "These two have traveled all over the place and met kids from many different countries so they're very familiar with the problems that teens are facing every day."

Kurogane snorted doubtfully. It was true that they had met kids from many different countries but somehow he got the feeling that the problems those kids faced weren't exactly the norm. He silently wondered just how many other kids out there had to travel between dimensions in order to get their true love's memories back or risk them being stolen and misused by insane doctors, one-eyed demon wanna-bes, fluffy little bunny things or floating castles. Kurogane wasn't sure, but he was willing to bet that the number was pretty small.

"Listen closely now, girls," the recording continued. "This is your chance to get advice from some hot foreign guys without having to worry about getting all tongue-tied! And they're both single, too!"

"Yes, Kuropin is very good looking!" Fai agreed happily, hugging Kurogane's arm. "He's so manly!"

"SHUT UP!! GET OFF OF ME, YOU—" beeeep.

Kurogane started and looked around. "What the—" beeeep "was that sound?!"

"Oh, it was this," Fai grinned and pointed to a small white button on the counter in front of him. "Station Manager san said that since kids listen to this show, Kurowanwan can't use any bad words. So I'm censoring you!"

Kurogane glared furiously at him before turning away and folding his arms in disgust.

"Now, Kurogane san," the recording interrupted, "it says here that you're a ninja. Is that true?"

"Hmph," Kurogane grunted impatiently. If he had said that he was a ninja, then of course he was a ninja! What sort of dumb ass made up that kind of thing?

"Can you tell us a little bit about that?"

"I guard my country's princess and her castle. If anyone tries to break in and cause trouble, I kill 'em. What part of that needs explaining?"

"That sounds fabulous!" the recording gushed. "And Fai san, I was told that you're an imperial wizard. Tell us about what kinds of things you do in your job."

"Hmm… well, I guess I make medicine and potions and do spells for the king," he replied cheerfully.

"Amazing! It sounds like a really cool job! What kind of pay and benefits do you get with a job like that?"

Fai laughed. "Actually, the pay is pretty lousy. The king is a bit tight with his money, I'm sorry to say. We really don't get benefits either. I mean, what does a wizard need a health or dental plan for? If anything happens to us, we can just cure ourselves with our magic. Really, the only benefit is getting to live in the castle…"

"Yeah, you were getting a pretty raw deal, weren't you?" Kurogane muttered. "All those servants, free food and high-class living quarters… I can see why you left."

"I'm sorry; did you say something, Kurorin?" Fai asked sweetly. "You'll have to talk louder next time. I seem to be losing my hearing."

"Awesome!" the recording interrupted again. "Ok, now that we know a little bit about our hosts, why don't we get to the listener letters?"

"Right!" Fai said, grabbing a letter from the top of a pile that sat in front of him and flipping it open with a flourish. "Our first letter for today comes from Touya kun, age sixteen. Dear Kurogane san and Fai san…"

"Hold on a minute!" Kurogane demanded. "Just how in the—" beeeep "are you reading that letter?! You don't know this country's language!"

"I had Mokona go through the pile last night and choose a few to translate for me," the blond answered carelessly. "Now please don't interrupt again, Kuromyuu. I'm trying to read."

"YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON I WANNA HEAR THAT FROM, YOU—" beeeep.

"Dear Kurogane san and Fai san," Fai read loudly over the top of Kurogane's angry outburst. "Every time I go out somewhere with my friends, I'm always the one who ends up paying for stuff. I know that I'm the only one of us who has a job but I'm sick of my friends mooching off of me! What should I do?"

"I got some news for you, kid," Kurogane said solemnly. "If they keep asking you to go places with them and making you pay, then they're probably just using you."

"Kurowanta! Don't say things like that!" Fai gasped melodramatically.

"What? You think I should sugar-coat things for him just because he's a kid?" the ninja growled. "Sugar-coating a problem never helped anyone. Take my advice, kid, and ditch those losers."

"Don't listen to Kurochii," Fai said easily. "He's just being a Negative Nataku."

"What the—" beeeep "are you talking about?!" Kurogane snapped. "And enough with the—" beeeep "censoring thing already!!"

"You shouldn't ditch your friends just because they're lazy freeloaders!" Fai continued.

"You're only saying that because that's what you are," Kurogane mumbled.

"Instead of going places all the time, why don't you try doing some things that don't cost money like watching a movie at someone's house or going to a park. There are plenty of fun things to do that are free so you should do those things more often." Fai moved on to the next letter. "The next letter is from Watanuki kun, age fifteen. Dear Kurogane san and Fai san, There's this girl at my school, Himawari chan, that I really like and I think she might like me back. The problem is that there's this other guy, Doumeki, who keeps butting in on our time together! To make things worse, Himawari chan really seems to like him, too! This guy is the biggest jerk ever and just looking at his stupid face makes me so mad! He's always telling me to shut up and calling me 'oi' instead of my name and forcing me to make lunch for him! And every time I try to be nice to him, he just…AAARGH!! He's such a smug idiot! I think I could get over it eventually if Himawari chan said that she wasn't interested in me but not if she chose him over me! What should I do?"

Fai grinned over at Kurogane. "Go on, Love Doctor Kurokuro. What do advice do you have for Watanuki kun?"

"…Just leave me out of this," Kurogane muttered, folding his arms and turning away stubbornly.

"Wai! Kuropopo is too embarrassed to give love counseling!" the magician squealed gleefully. "How cute! Well, I guess it's up to me then, huh? Hmmm…say, Watanuki kun? I know you probably like Himawari chan a lot but… how long has it been since you gave your feelings for Doumeki kun some serious thought? Based on what you said in your letter, it sounds like the real problem might be that you're frustrated that Doumeki kun isn't treating you the way you want him to. Before you decide to pursue Himawari chan with everything you've got, maybe you should rethink your possible relationship with Doumeki kun."

Fai glanced over at Kurogane, who was still refusing to look at him, and noticed joyfully that his ears were all red. "Tee hee! I think it's time for the next letter. All this talk about romance is making Kuropippi all blushy!"

"IT IS NOT!!" Kurogane roared, pounding the counter in front of him with his fist.

"This one is from Syaoran kun, age fourteen. Hey, I wonder if this is _our_ Syaoran kun…Dear Kurogane san and Fai san, I think I'm going crazy. I keep having these weird dreams that there are two of me and that one of us is evil. This wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the occasional blackouts. There are some times when my mind goes blank for a little while and when I come to, I can't remember what I was doing before that or how I got there. Other times, my body seems to move on its own as if someone else is controlling it and my friends tell me that I say scary things to them but I don't remember it happening at all. Please help me!"

"That's easy," Kurogane said, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "If you've got an evil twin lurking around somewhere, the only smart thing to do would be to kill it."

"Ah ha ha ha! You're so blunt, Kurowanko!" Fai laughed.

"I'm serious!" the warrior snarled. "You can't just let it run amok! Obviously it's trying to screw up your life so you should just get rid of it before it does that!"

"Next time you see it in your dream, Syaoran kun, why don't you try asking it some questions?" the magician suggested. "Ask it what it wants and why it's doing these things to you. Maybe your evil twin isn't really evil. Maybe it just wants to be your friend."

"Tch. What kind of crap are you telling the kid?" Kurogane sneered. "Ask it questions? Like that'll work."

"You never know, Kuropii. You never know," Fai replied calmly. "Ok, next letter… this one is from Kero chan, but…how strange, there's no age written here…"

"Just read the stupid letter," the swordsman growled.

"Dear Kurogane san and Fai san, I've got a serious problem. I'm a totally awesome magical creature who was created by a super-powerful magician and sealed away in a book for a really long time to watch over these things called Clow cards. The problem is that since the girl who now has the Clow cards doesn't have enough power yet, I'm stuck in this really lame stuffed animal body. Now nobody takes me seriously. I keep telling them that my true form is really cool but they don't believe me. I'm really tired of everyone treating me like a joke. How can I deal with this until I am able to go back to my true form?"

There was a brief silence as Kurogane and Fai stared at each other. Kurogane was the first to finally speak.

"What the—" beeeep.

"Hmm, this is a tough one!" Fai agreed. "But Kurosama knows all about not being taken seriously, so you ought to be able to—"

"THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY IS YOU, YOU—" beeeep.

"I know you're not going to like this answer, Kero chan," Fai shouted over Kurogane's raging, "but I think maybe the only thing you can do for now is just be patient. Every time someone doesn't take you seriously, just think about how silly their faces will look when you prove them wrong. I'm sure the girl will get enough power soon and then you can show them all."

"What kind of lame—" beeeep "advice is that?" Kurogane snorted.

"Do you have a better idea, Kuropyon?" Fai asked sweetly.

"…Uh…"

"I didn't think so. If that's the case, then shhhh," the mage giggled, putting a finger to Kurogane's lips, making the ninja's face go red. "Our next letter comes from Tsubasa-Faye chan, age fourteen. Ooh, and it's especially for you, Kuromuu! Dear Kurogane san, What is the best way to get Fai to be quiet?"

As soon as he had finished reading the question, Fai burst out laughing. "Go on, Kuromin; I'm interested to see what kind of answer you come up with!"

"Tch. You're asking the wrong person, kid," Kurogane sighed, sounding defeated. "I've tried just about everything but this—" beeeep "just never shuts up. But hey, if you figure it out, you let me know."

"Oh, Kurochan! I'm disappointed in you!" Fai scolded. "You give up so quickly! But we can't turn Tsubasa-Faye chan away with no answer, so I will divulge the secret method to her…"

The wizard paused dramatically, then glanced coyly over at Kurogane who was leaning forward in his seat in anticipation of the answer. When he noticed Fai watching him, he cleared his throat and busied himself with opening the bottle of water that the radio station had provided each of them with. "It's quite easy, really. All Kuropiko would have to do to get me to be quiet is give me a nice big kiss riiiiight on my lips!"

Kurogane, who had just taken a mouthful of water, promptly choked on it. As soon as his coughing fit had passed, he gritted his teeth angrily, his face glowing like an ember. "What the—" beeeep "are you trying to do, you—" beeeep. "Give me a heart attack?!"

"I was being serious, Kuroru," Fai said brightly. "Just give it a try next time you want me to be quiet! I promise it'll work!"

"In your dreams—" beeeep.

"Really, Kuronro, you should watch your mouth. My finger is getting tired from pushing this censor button over and over."

"Then don't do it!"

"Our next letter…comes from an anonymous source," Fai said, grinning mysteriously. "And what do you know, it's for Kuropu again!" Kurogane looked suspicious but said nothing. "Dear Big Doggy, if we were in a desert and I was dying of thirst and you just happened to be lactating, would you give me a drink?"

Kurogane stared at Fai with a mixture of disgust and disbelief. The blond just smiled patiently, waiting for his answer. "Well, Kurochin?"

"You…you…" Kurogane sputtered indignantly, jumping to his feet and pointing an accusing finger at Fai. "YOU MADE THAT UP YOURSELF, YOU—" beeeep beeeep. "THAT…THAT'S DISGUSTING!!"

"Ok, I'll take that as a yes, then," he chirped.

"THAT WASN'T A YES!!"

"The next one is from Moko chan…"

"It'd better not be that—" beeeep "manjuu," Kurogane growled warningly.

"And it's for you again, Kurotan! I'm starting to feel a bit left out… Anyway, Dear Kurogane, why doesn't Kurogane carry around any cool ninja stuff, like nunchucks or throwing stars?"

"…This is supposed to be for people who want advice, not for asking me random, stupid questions. Anyway, that stuff is for wimps. A real ninja only needs one weapon and that's a sword," Kurogane answered shortly. "Next letter. And if it's another stupid one, I'm leaving."

"The next letter is from Mesame chan, and it's for Kuropon again," Fai read.

"Great. Just get it over with," Kurogane sighed, foolishly taking another drink of water.

"Dear Kurogane san, before Fai san, were you a virgin?"

Kurogane simultaneously spat out his water and got a nosebleed.

Fai burst out laughing again. "Tee hee! What are you going to tell her, Kurowankoro?"

"N-n-nothing!!" he shouted, getting abruptly to his feet. "S-screw this! I'm out of here!!"

With that, Kurogane stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him as loudly as he could.

"Wait!" Fai called. "Kuromyuu! What's the answer?! Kuromyuu!"


	6. After the Storm

The clock read one A.M. Kurogane's eyes burned with tiredness as he waited, but a mixture of irritation and worry kept them from sliding closed and letting sleep claim him. It had been seven hours since the other had left, giving no hint as to where he was going and how long he'd be gone, or if he'd be back at all. He had noticed all day that Fai had seemed distant and vaguely upset but still had expected him back hours ago. Surely his continued absence wasn't a good sign.

The children had wanted to stay up and await the return of their mutual friend but when ten thirty rolled around and there was still no sight of the wizard, he had made them go to bed and leave him alone with his apprehensiveness. It was eleven when the rain started, its intensity moderate at first but quickly escalating into a torrential downpour. That did nothing to stave off his worry. For a while Kurogane had simply paced back and forth in front of the window, trying to squint through the storm to see if there was any sign of Fai coming down the sidewalk. It was an extremely agonizing way to pass the hours. Every drop of rain hitting the window made him more and more irritated, the rumbles of thunder accented his uneasiness, and his mind churned restlessly as it came up with possible explanations for Fai's lateness.

His worry wasn't unfounded; they had learned the hard way when they landed in this world that the storms could be quite nasty. It was rare that they reached the level of blowing down houses, but the winds were strong enough to make it very unpleasant to walk around in, especially when you found yourself caught in a mini-whirlwind of dust and gravel. Faiwas so light that it wasn't difficult for the ninja to imagine him being swept away by the wind. But Kurogane shook his head. _Don't think about that,_ he told himself sternly.

When pacing didn't work, he had found other ways to busy himself while he waited. He decided to make himself useful by preparing for his companion's return. It did keep him busy for a while; building a fire in the hearth, laying out a towel, a blanket and a change of clothes in front of the fireplace to warm them. But once he finished those tasks, he was back to agonizing again. _A bath_, he thought. _I'll run him a bath._ Kurogane dragged himself to the bathroom to wash out the tub (which he did mostly for the purpose of wasting more time) and sprinkled in some powdered bubble bath (again, another time waster).

Just as he was about to turn on the hot water, he realized that he still didn't know when to expect the other home and that it could still be another few hours. By that time, the water would be cold. He brushed that thought aside. Of course Fai would be back soon. Kurogane turned on the water and let it run until the tub was full with water so hot that it was almost boiling. Water that hot would reach a pleasant temperature in about half an hour, he reasoned. With that task finished, he returned to the front room to wait some more.

The ninja was back to pacing again. If he had been a cat, his tail would have been swishing with displeasure. It wasn't so much that he had any special inclination towards the wizard; he simply got annoyed when he knew things weren't as they should be. Perhaps he should go out and look for Fai. It was true that he had no idea where to look, but even if he didn't end up finding the mage, at least it would make him feel better than standing around uselessly. His mind made up, Kurogane impatiently snatched his hooded cloak from the hook near the door along with Fai's, which the blond had carelessly left behind. He folded Fai's up and slipped it into his inner pocket so that he could give it to him if they happened to bump into each other. Pulling the hood down securely over his head, Kurogane threw his broad shoulder against the door, forcing it open against the gale and stepped out into the storm.

He chose to search in the direction that the wind was pushing him. It seemed the most logical decision since it would have taken a great deal of effort and determination on Fai's part to go any other direction. The rain was so heavy that he could hardly see five feet in front of him, in spite of the frequent streetlamps. Kurogane gave up on relying on his eyes fairly quickly and sought out the sorcerer's aura instead.

He found himself at the edge of town much sooner than he had expected to. Still there had been no sign of Fai, though Kurogane couldn't really say that this surprised him. It wasn't as if he had been expecting to find notes every so often along the way that said things like "Kuropon, I'm this way" and a little arrow pointing in one direction or the other. Kurogane looked to his left. A small, dense copse of trees stood off to that side, their leaves and branches rattling violently in the wind. Anyone else might have turned away from it as it looked rather foreboding but something about it drew Kurogane closer.

He stepped in between the gnarled but sturdy trunks, being careful not to trip over anything. Once he entered the forest, there was a definite decrease in the wind and he had to breathe a sigh of relief for it. The fact that he could breathe for real for the first time since he had set out was encouraging. Kurogane picked his way through the vegetation cautiously; it was unpleasant having to walk through an ankle-deep sea of wet leaves. But he sensed that there was something in the center of this forest, and that kept him going.

The swordsman was surprised when he finally stepped into a clearing and found it occupied by a small playground. The wind was almost nonexistent here, although it still rattled the treetops relentlessly. Without the howling wind, Kurogane's ears became more useful and the detected the faint squeak of wet chains rubbing together. He scanned the clearing carefully and started when he noticed a tall, slender, dark figure on a swing only a few yards away from where he was standing. He recognized the person as Fai instantly, though the magician had not yet noticed that he had company.

Kurogane experienced a sweeping relief at finally finding the wayward mage, along with a hot wave of anger. Here he had been nearly going crazy with worry while Fai just sat, alone, on a child's plaything, swaying back and forth slightly in the wind and yet going nowhere at all. The ninja watched the sorcerer's futile game with momentum on the swing in silence and it stuck him as being ironic; just when he seemed to be making some forward progress, Fai would push himself back, undoing all that he had done and even regressing before he began to swing forward once more and make headway again.

It also occurred to him as he watched just how beautiful, sad and fragile Fai looked in this setting. His golden hair was wet and stringy, clinging to his pale cheeks and neck in half-hearted curls, obscuring his lonely sapphire eyes from view. The beam from a lone streetlamp shone down on him, illuminating his clouding breath and the drops of fair moonlit rain that slid down his skin. His white short-sleeved t-shirt had become somewhat transparent from saturation and stuck to his skinny body, making him look even more pathetic.

Jerking himself out of his daze, Kurogane removed Fai's cloak from the inner pocket of his own and shook it out to its full size. Silent, he approached the wizard from behind and draped the cloak over his shoulders. Fai, who had not been expecting this, was startled so badly that he would have fallen backwards out of his swing if Kurogane hadn't been there to steady him. Fai blinked up at him in surprise.

"Kurosama…"

"It's time to go back," he growled softly, taking a step backwards to show that they wouldn't be sticking around. Reluctantly, Fai hopped down from the swing but didn't approach his waiting companion.

"Come on," Kurogane said. "I'm not leaving without you."

True to his word, he waited until Fai had joined him at his side before he began to lead the way back to their temporary home. As they walked, Fai glanced furtively up at him, trying to gauge the ninja's mood. Sensing that there was sufficient neutrality in the atmosphere between them, he timidly slipped his smaller hand into Kurogane's. He was ready to withdraw it quickly if Kurogane got angry with him but to his immense relief, his hand was accepted, the swordsman's warm fingers wrapping around it gently. Fai tried to catch a glimpse of the other's expression but it was hidden by his hood.

Some of Kurogane's worry returned when he noticed how icy cold Fai's touch was, how the small, soft hand in his shivered. He said nothing but guided both of their hands into his cloak's pocket to help warm Fai at least a little. When they stepped out from between the trees, the mage had to grab onto Kurogane's arm and hold on tight to keep from being knocked off his feet. It took longer to make it back since they were walking against the wind so by the time they forced open their front door both of them were pretty wet, though Fai had definitely gotten the worst of it. Both of them removed their shoes and squeezed the excess water from their cloaks.

Not a word was said until Fai sneezed, causing the ninja to look down at him sternly.

"You're going to take a hot bath," he ordered. "Now."

Kurogane went and retrieved the warm towel from in front of the fireplace and handed it to him. Fai took it from him without complaint and wrapped it around his shoulders before heading obediently to the bath. He was surprised when he found it all ready and waiting for him. The sorcerer sighed gratefully as he closed the door behind him and began to peel off his wet clothes. Slipping into that warm water was like being revived after death.

When Fai finally joined Kurogane in front of the fire after his bath, dressed in the clothes that the swordsman had warmed for him, it was almost three in the morning. Fai picked up the blanket from in front of the fireplace and wrapped it around both of them, then laid his head on Kurogane's sturdy shoulder. Kurogane glared down at him and Fai put on a lopsided smile, knowing that now that he had been taken care of, he was going to get scolded.

"You bastard," he snarled. "Do you have any idea how… how long it took me to find you?"

Kurogane had caught himself just before the words "how worried I was" slipped off his tongue. Inwardly he breathed a little sigh of relief; that had been a close one. "What the hell were you doing?"

Fai flashed another lopsided grin. "Oh, you know… just hanging out…"

"Like hell, you were," Kurogane snorted dubiously. "People don't just go 'hang out' by themselves at this hour and sit around in the pouring rain, dumb ass."

The magician was silent for a moment as he rethought his strategy.

"Hmm…I guess you caught me, huh?" he admitted, his smile now becoming apologetic. "Really, I…I suppose I was just…feeling sorry for myself…"

Kurogane watched him closely, a frown of disapproval etched on his face.

"I know how Kuronta hates it when I do things like that."

The ninja heaved a sigh of frustration and closed his eyes. "Whatever."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Huh?" Kurogane said.

"I'm…I'm sorry for making you worry…"

"Hmph," the swordsman grunted. "Who ever said that I was worried?"

"Why else would you have come out in that storm to find me?" Fai pointed out with a smile. Kurogane blushed and looked away, opting not to reply.

"Thank you for that, Kurochan," Fai whispered, moving into his line of sight again and putting his hands on Kurogane's face. "Thank you for finding me. It made me so happy…"

He gently pressed his lips against Kurogane's repeatedly. Once some of the ninja's shock wore off, he pushed Fai down on his back and kissed him more aggressively. Fai could tell now that although Kurogane didn't say so, Fai wasn't the only one who was glad that he had been found.


End file.
